Improvement in compressed-air engines



AMOS M. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPRESSED-AIR ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,825, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos M. SMITH, of Cheago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and original Improvement in Compressed-Air Engines, of whieh the following is a speeieation:

Myinvention consists in providing an auxiliary tank between the main air-tank and the engine, into whieh the air passes from the main air-tank through an air-governor, said auxiliary tank being eonneeted with the engine in sueh a manner as to supply it with its propelling` air and receive the air pumped thereby, when the engine is reversed, holding the saine as a reserved supply power. In the use of portable Compressed-air engines it is very desirable to use the momentum of the ear or engine to pump air to use to propel the engine, and it is also desirable to pump against suliieient resistance to break or stop the engine 5 but not enough resistance to eause the wheels to slide on the traek.

In the annexed drawing, Arepresents the main air-tank i'orholding compressed air. B are wheels, upon wllieh the air-tank is supported 5 a-nd C,a oompressed-air engine, suitably eonneeted withthe wh eelsin any known wayi'or propelling the same. l) is the auxiliaryair-tank; and E is anywell-known governor for regulating the passage of air from the main tank to the auxiliary tank, so that there would be only a certain press of air in the auxiliary tank, regardless ot' the pressure in the main tank. I*l is a pipe for eondueting air from the auxiliary tank to the engine. It is provided with a suitable valve, H, with Connecting-rods I, so that it eau be openedv and closed from either end of the dummy engine, as shown. J is auother pipe Connecting the auxiliary tank and engine, as shown, and it is provided with a valve, K, that will admit oi' air passing from the engine to the tank, but not from the tank to the engine. This pipe is eonneeted to the ainehamber L of the en gine in sueh a way that when the valve H in the pipe F is closed and the wheels B are in motion the engine is converted into an air-pump and pumps the air through the pipe J (the valve K being an ordinary pump-valve suitable for that purpose) into the auxiliary tank D.

It will be observed that, by having a governor, E between the main tank and the auxiliaryT tank, the pressure in the auxiliary tank is only sutileient to run the ear, although it may greatly exeeed that amount in the main tank; but when it is desired to stop the ear or engine the valve H is closed, and the en gine pumps against the pressure in the auxiliary tank,whieh is sufeient to soon stop the wheels, but not sufficient to make them slide on the rail; and although the governor allows only air enough to pass into the .auxiliary tank to propel the ear, the air pumped into the said tank in stopping makes an additional power, which is desirable, or even necessary, in starting.

I do not elaim to be the iirst to use the momentum to pump air through an air-engine into a tank; therefore I do not elaim any special way of eonneeting the auxiliary tank and engine, as any way whereby the air for propelling is eonveyed from the tank to the engine and the air. pumped by it to the tank may be used. Nor do I claim the governor or air-regulator, but simply use any known governor or regulator.

What I elaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The main tank A, the governor or regulato E, the auxiliary tank l), and engine C, when all are arranged on wheels and combined so as to operate substantially as described. y

AMOS M. SMITH.

Witnesses FRANors F. WARNER., H. F. BRUNs. 

